A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump designated Antifa a domestic terrorist organization. Most Americans know Antifa, if they&#8217;re lucky, from news coverage of the chaos it causes driving riots in big cities across the country. 
Ryan Millsap isn&#8217;t one of those Americans. Out of no fault of his own, Ryan found himself neighbors with the terrorist group. 
What started out as an opportunity to make cool movies in a state-of-the-art facility in Georgia turned into a protracted, ad hoc battle with random radicals living in tree houses. 
It’s stories like Ryan’s that expose the very real damage groups like Antifa can do. We&#8217;re proud to have him tell it himself in The Daily Wire. — The Daily Wire
* * *
The past four years of my life have been a relentless storm of attacks, lies, and betrayal — much of it orchestrated by radical activists who would rather burn down progress than see it thrive.
I never expected to end up in the crosshairs of Antifa, and that&#8217;s an understatement.
As a movie studio owner and real estate developer, I built Blackhall Studios into a cornerstone of Georgia’s film industry, creating jobs and opportunities.
When I entered into a land swap deal with DeKalb County, however, I drew the wrath of Antifa. This was all happening next door to the development of a new Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, that became known to the world as “Cop City.” When Antifa caught wind of the deal, chaos ensued.
This is my story. A story about a battle for a piece of land and for the truth in a world quick to crucify conservatives.
<h3>The Beginning: Building A Legacy</h3>
I wasn’t born into wealth. I made it the American way, with hard work and intelligent risk-taking. Growing up in California, I became a real estate developer and investor.
Following the financial crisis of 2008, I saw a new opportunity to acquire real estate across the Southeast and ended up purchasing over 8,000 apartments. In 2016, I seized on Georgia’s film industry boom, founding Blackhall Studios — an 850,000-square-foot powerhouse facility that helped produce hits like “Jungle Cruise,” “Jumanji,” “Venom,” and “Lovecraft Country.”
My team and I built a reputation of working cross-culturally with the community, hand-in-hand with Black leaders and Jewish colleagues. Through Advance DeKalb, I poured resources into the community, even offering to donate space to healthcare workers during the pandemic.
In 2018, I decided to expand Blackhall. Around the same time, the Atlanta Police Foundation planned a state-of-the-art public safety training facility to make Atlanta safer. The “Cop City” idea — next door to our planned expansion — was meant to train police and first responders to protect communities like DeKalb’s. To make it happen, I struck a land swap deal with DeKalb County: 55 acres of my studio’s land for 40 acres of Intrenchment Creek Park.
At the time, county officials and local leaders enthusiastically backed the deal. The county treated me as a partner, excited for the economic boost.
Then, in early 2021, Antifa showed up.
<div id="attachment_989641" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989641" class="size-large wp-image-989641" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-1024x576.jpeg" alt="Credit: Ryan Millsap" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy.jpeg 1658w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Ryan Millsap</div>
<h3>The Turn: Antifa’s War On Progress</h3>
Hiding behind the “Defend the Atlanta Forest” banner, these “squatters” occupied the property, calling it “Weelaunee People’s Park.” To me, they didn’t appear to be peaceful environmentalists, but anarchists, funded and fueled by Antifa’s network, bent on sabotaging both our development and Cop City.
Their treehouses and protests were just the beginning of the chaos they would unleash. The “squatters’” antics turned violent fast. Rocks and full beer cans were thrown at workers on the site.
Then came the relentless legal battles. In 2020, the South River Watershed Alliance (SRWA) <a href="https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ga-court-of-appeals/116643343.html">sued me and DeKalb County</a>, alleging the land swap was illegal. Of course, it was not illegal, but abusive litigation is a hallmark of modern leftist terrorists. I filed an affidavit defending the deal, but the county’s response was indirect and they began to backpedal. I believe Antifa’s pressure campaign, with their deep pockets and activist networks, caused officials to abandon me.
Still, I had to fight back. So, I hired contractors and off-duty DeKalb police officers to secure the property. In a heated confrontation in July of 2022, protesters hurled objects at my team. Antifa lit my truck and trailer on fire and turned it into a bonfire of effigy. Then, in October of 2022, activists successfully <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/anonymous-activist-claims-responsibility-for-blaze-at-dekalb-film-studio-may-this-be-a-warning-to-them">torched</a> Shadowbox Studios (formerly Blackhall).
<div id="attachment_989639" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989639" class="size-large wp-image-989639" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-768x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Ryan Millsap" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Credit: Ryan Millsap</div>
Meanwhile, I faced an onslaught of media attacks and online smears. A former attorney filed a public lawsuit that became fodder for hit pieces in local and national outlets. Social media campaigns — many from self-identified Antifa supporters — accused me of everything from greed to corruption.
I worked hard to protect my family from all the chaos, but my wife bore the brunt of the stress, living under the shadow of Antifa’s harassment and online threats.
<h3>Where I Stand Today: Fighting For Truth</h3>
More than four years later, the 40 acres I still own remain undeveloped, stalled by the prolonged protests, various lawsuits, and political shenanigans.
I sold Blackhall in 2021 to Commonwealth Group, now Shadowbox Studios, and shifted my focus to other endeavors.
Meanwhile, Cop City finally opened, a victory for law and order despite Antifa’s relentless opposition. President Trump himself highlighted the facility at a roundtable with independent journalists, calling out Antifa’s role in the violence against projects like mine. Their funding, likely from shadowy leftist groups, has fueled the chaos, from car burnings to media smear campaigns, all to stop progress.
<div id="attachment_989643" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989643" class="wp-image-989643 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-865x576.jpg" alt="The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, referred to as 'Cop City' by opponents, under construction in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Alexander Cox Taylor runs the family conglomerate, Cox Enterprises Inc., while supporting civic causes in his hometown of Atlanta, including a new $110 million facility to train police and other safety officials. His first cousin, James Cox Chambers Jr., is using his own piece of the fortune to try to shut that very project down. Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, referred to as &#8216;Cop City&#8217; by opponents, under construction on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Through it all, my family has been my rock. My wife, kids, and I have faced these attacks together, though the strain of Antifa’s threats and character assassination nonsense has tested us. I have lost many friendships throughout the city and the world because of this manufactured toxicity. But my faith keeps me grounded, and I’m fighting to protect my legacy for my family and community.
This story isn’t just mine — it’s happening in other pockets of America.
Look at the Dakota Access Pipeline, where <a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/briefs/north-dakota-us-working-to-settle-in-dispute-over-dakota-access-pipeline-protest-costs/">protests</a> against a $3.8 billion oil project in 2016 led to blockades, sabotage, and over 700 arrests, delaying completion and costing developers millions, all fueled by environmental and indigenous activism that echoed Antifa’s tactics.
Consider Tim Pool, the conservative podcaster who bought a derelict lot in West Virginia in 2023 to <a href="https://x.com/Timcast/status/1900216701108564402">build a skatepark</a> for local youth. His dream of a safe space for skaters to hang out was derailed by over two years of vandalism, gang tags, and anonymous threats, driven by opposition to his right-wing politics. Pool was forced to shut it down in 2025, a loss for the community he aimed to serve.
That’s not activism. That’s sabotage.
<h3>A Call For Courage</h3>
These cases and many others show how Antifa and their allies use funded protests, media hit jobs, digital attacks, and endless lawsuits to grind progress to a halt, targeting conservatives with anything they can manufacture to destroy them.
In sharing my experience, I hope to help expose Antifa’s playbook — using chaos and lies to silence those who dare build or challenge their agenda. It’s a call to stand up to their intimidation and defend the America that values hard work and entrepreneurial life.
The past four years have been brutal. Publicly, I’ve been vilified, my name dragged through the mud by Antifa’s allies in the media. But I won’t let terrorists define me. I’m still here, building, fighting, and believing in a country that rewards grit, intelligence, and an indefatigable spirit. They can burn my cars and spread lies, but they won’t break me, this country, or the truth.
To say that I’m excited that President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-designates-antifa-a-major-terrorist-organization">designated Antifa</a> a terrorist group on October 7, 2025 after Charlie Kirk&#8217;s death is an understatement. I’ve known this truth for many years. These people hate America, hate Americanism, and want to see every hard-working, red-blooded American subjugated to their chaos. We must not let that happen.
* * *
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Ryan Millsap is an entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Atlanta-based Blackhall Studios, the powerhouse production facility behind films like &#8220;Venom,&#8221; &#8220;Jumanji,&#8221; and &#8220;Jungle Cruise.&#8221; A lifelong builder and unapologetic American capitalist, Millsap has spent his career revitalizing communities through real estate, film, and philanthropy. He is also the host of The Blackhall Podcast where he interviews leaders shaping business, culture, and faith. Millsap continues to champion free enterprise, individual liberty, and the unbreakable American spirit from his home in Georgia.
* * *
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.

Activists In NYC Demonstrate Against Atlanta’s Planned “Cop City” Police Training Center

Four Years Under Siege: My Battle Against Antifa And The Chaos That Tried To Break Me

Antifa

Atlanta

Film

Georgia

Hollywood

Lawsuit

Leftists

Opinion

Police

The Georgia Republican Senate primary is gaining traction on the fundraising front, bringing new attention to the race to take on incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff.
Ossoff is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic senators in the 2026 election cycle, with the <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cook Political Report</a> ranking his race as a “Toss-Up.” As of June 30, the Democrat has over $15 million cash on hand, according to the <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S8GA00180/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Election Commission</a>.
Georgia Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, as well as former football coach Derek Dooley, are currently in the field on the Republican side.
Collins raised $1.9 million in Q3 and currently has $2.4 million in cash on hand, according to a press release. He announced his candidacy on July 28 and had a war chest $2.9 million overall, with just over $1 million transferred from his congressional bid.
“These fundraising numbers make clear what we have said from the beginning: we will not be outworked, we will not be outhustled, and we will win this race and put the people of Georgia back in the driver&#8217;s seat in the United States Senate,” Collins said in a press release.
Dooley raised $1.85 million in Q3, and he entered the race eight weeks ago. The Republican has $1.7 million cash on hand.
“For the past 8 weeks, we’ve hit the ground running at full speed in order to build the operation needed to win this seat back for the people of Georgia,” Dooley said in a statement.
His campaign chair, Don Leebern III, said, “there’s no question that Derek has the clear momentum in this race.”
The high fundraising totals are a strong indicator that the general election will likely shape up to be a highly expensive race on both sides.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>
However, some Democrats argue that the latest numbers are an indicator of a complicated Republican primary.
“Mike Collins and Derek Dooley’s neck-in-neck fundraising reports further underscore that Georgia Republicans are in a messy, chaotic U.S. Senate primary for the long haul,” Democratic Party of Georgia Senior Communications Advisor Devon Cruz told The Daily Wire in a statement.
Ossoff was first elected in 2021 following an extremely tight runoff election between him and former Republican Sen. David Perdue. President Joe Biden narrowly won the state in November, and Trump flipped the state back to red in 2024.
“I am the number one target in the country for the Republican Party,” he said in an August <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jonossoff/videos/magas-1-target/2243036079484320/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advertisement</a>, adding that “MAGA is already spending millions of dollars to defeat me” as he’s the only Democratic senator running in 2026 in a state Trump won.
The Daily Wire reached out to Carter’s campaign for comment. The primary election is scheduled for May 2026, and a runoff would be triggered in June 2026 if no candidate receives a minimum of 50% of the vote.

Jon Ossoff

Inside The Expensive Race To Unseat A Vulnerable Democratic Senator

Senate

Senate Democrats

A coronavirus-era housing bailout program spent $10 billion paying Americans&#8217; mortgages and homeowner association dues. But explicit racial preferences steered nearly half of the funds to black Americans, who make up just 12% of the population, a Daily Wire analysis found.
The <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/homeowner-assistance-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Homeowner Assistance Fund</a> is one of the largest race-based government wealth transfers in history. It has largely escaped scrutiny since it launched amid a global pandemic and a stream of other federal bailouts. But now, white residents in several states have filed lawsuits alleging that they were illegally discriminated against.
The lawsuits target Republican-led states that the plaintiffs say went along with the program in Joe Biden&#8217;s American Rescue Plan, even though it was up to each state to implement its own rules, and the Biden administration offered racial criteria only as non-binding suggestions.
In Georgia, for example, 82% of the funds — made up of payments for up to $50,000 — went to blacks. Only 13% went to whites, and 4% went to Hispanics. The lawsuit argues that this can&#8217;t be due to income disparities alone, given the high rate of poverty among white people in the state.
&#8220;This dramatic difference cannot be explained by income disparities or other race-independent reasons,&#8221; a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.gasd.107818/gov.uscourts.gasd.107818.1.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> filed in January says. &#8220;For example, comparing census and poverty rate data, about 50.5% of Georgia citizens below the poverty line are black and 45.6% are white.&#8221;
The lawsuit is against the state&#8217;s Department of Community Affairs, whose leaders are appointed by Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican who has led the state since 2019. It alleges that the $354 million plan submitted by Georgia, and approved in January 2022, to use the funds included plans for a public awareness campaign that would send text messages to residents in &#8220;30 out of Georgia’s 152 counties&#8221; that were selected based on, among other things, “minority population.”
The state also &#8220;approved applications from applicants of its preferred racial and ethnic groups at a higher rate than those from white applicants. Out of all non-white applicants, about 20.04% of applicants were approved while out of all white applicants, about 12.74% of applicants were approved,&#8221; the suit says.
The federal program <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/HAF-Guidance.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">required</a> that each state allocate at least 60% of the funds to homeowners with incomes below the median. People with higher-than-average incomes could get the remaining money, but that portion &#8220;must be prioritized for assistance to socially disadvantaged individuals, with funds remaining after such prioritization being made available for other eligible homeowners.&#8221;
In other words, poor people of all races could always qualify for the grant, but certain other groups could also get it because they&#8217;re &#8220;disadvantaged,&#8221; even though they actually had more money than most.
The lawsuit stated that Congress had not defined &#8220;socially disadvantaged individuals.&#8221; But in April 2021, the Biden administration &#8220;provided a recommended definition&#8221; that said &#8220;Socially disadvantaged individuals are those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias &#8230; There is a rebuttable presumption that the following individuals are socially disadvantaged: Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.&#8221;
Georgia, Missouri, and Oklahoma are being sued after the deep-red states chose to adopt that definition, even though it was optional, unlike other states. Deep-blue California, for example, administered the housing-cost bailout by <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/HAFP-0108-California-Salesforce-Submission.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defining</a> socially disadvantaged as residents who live in Census tracts where the <a href="https://knowledge.luskin.ucla.edu/ca-covid-19-owner-vulnerability/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ratio</a> of housing costs to available income has historically made residents most vulnerable to foreclosure. <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/HAFP-0096-Texas-SalesforceSubmission.pdf">Texas</a> defined it as people who &#8220;reside in a Persistent Poverty County.&#8221;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-968057 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race.png" alt="" width="1113" height="1636" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race.png 1113w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race-204x300.png 204w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race-392x576.png 392w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race-768x1129.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race-1045x1536.png 1045w" sizes=" (max-width: 1113px) 100vw, 1113px" /></div>
Kemp spokesman Carter Chapman declined to discuss why Georgia adopted the race-based definition, instead saying he has a record of &#8220;fighting DEI in our state,&#8221; including signing bills restricting childhood gender transitions. The state&#8217;s Department of Community Affairs did not return a request for comment.
Georgia Attorney General Christopher M. Carr is seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed, filing a motion in June that stated the state&#8217;s use of race was &#8220;entirely consistent with the Treasury’s definitions.&#8221;
&#8220;The Treasury’s and DCA’s definition of socially disadvantaged individuals included, but was not limited to, people who had been subject to racial prejudice, and it also included those who have been subject to cultural bias, which is not a racial classification,&#8221; Carr says.
&#8220;The program allowed white applicants to be considered socially disadvantaged merely by submitting an affidavit stating that they &#8216;identify as a Socially Disadvantaged Individual,'&#8221; he wrote.
Carr is a Republican who has held his position since 2016 and has criticized DEI policies elsewhere, including at Costco and the American Bar Association. Carr spokeswoman Kara Murray told The Daily Wire that &#8220;Attorney General Carr had no involvement in the implementation of this program in Georgia. Once the lawsuit was filed, our office’s role was to defend the State in court, and that’s what we have done.&#8221;
In Missouri, the program was implemented by the Missouri Housing Development Commission, a <a href="https://mhdc.com/about-us/commissioners/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10-person board</a> that includes the state&#8217;s governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, and attorney general — all of whom are Republicans.
Yet when the federal government asked Missouri how it would define &#8220;socially disadvantaged individual,&#8221; it <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/HAFP-0080-Missouri-SalesforceSubmission.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it would adopt &#8220;Treasury’s definition of socially disadvantaged individuals,&#8221; and use software that would flag people as disadvantaged in part based on which box they checked when asked about race and ethnicity.
A lawsuit said that &#8220;In marketing and advertising its program to inform Missouri citizens about the availability of funds and how to apply, MHDC targeted outreach to racial minorities,&#8221; including partnering with the Black Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Forty-four percent of the loan money went to black residents, who make up less than 12% of the population.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe was a member of the housing commission during the program&#8217;s inception, serving in his then-role as lieutenant governor. Kehoe spokeswoman Gabby Picard said &#8220;As this is pending litigation, we are not able to comment on the specifics of this case,&#8221; but that &#8220;Kehoe has been a strong advocate for removing DEI within state government,&#8221; signing an executive order &#8220;directing all Missouri state agencies to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and ensure compliance with the constitutional principle of equal protection under the law.&#8221;
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, was not a member of the housing commission when the state decided how to implement the federal program because he took office in 2023. But Bailey responded to the lawsuit in court papers in May, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.moed.213696/gov.uscourts.moed.213696.64.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a> that &#8220;Defendants were merely administering a federal program in accordance with federal mandates, rules, guidelines, regulations, and/or applicable laws &#8230; The Defendants applied neutral criteria when administering the program. Defendants acted in good faith reliance on Treasury and federal guidance, and had no reason to believe the program would have a discriminatory impact.&#8221;
Bailey joined the Trump administration last month as co-deputy director of the FBI. A spokeswoman for his old office, Abigail Bergmann, told The Daily Wire that &#8220;the Biden Administration applied pressure to states to adopt these policies, and Missouri’s program was established before Attorney General Bailey was elected to office. As Attorney General, it is his statutory duty to represent MHDC in court. But thanks to his leadership, MHDC today has been stripped of the Biden-era racist policies that Missourians should never have been subjected to in the first place.”
In Oklahoma, five white residents who did not receive housing assistance, including a massage therapist who lost her job due to the pandemic and her disabled-veteran husband, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.okwd.129299/gov.uscourts.okwd.129299.1.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency. &#8220;On the front page of its Oklahoma Homeowner Assistance Fund program website, OHFA stated that a homeowner is a socially disadvantaged individual if the homeowner is a “[m]ember of a group that has been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within American Society: African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, LGBTQ+,” the suit said.
That <a href="https://perma.cc/Y6VR-EQ4C" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> says residents of &#8220;minority-majority census tracts&#8221; are also among the &#8220;socially disadvantaged&#8221; who &#8220;are eligible to receive a one-time grant award up to a maximum of $35,000.&#8221; It states that applications were accepted until March 2024. The state allocated $87 million, and 26% of it went to black residents, despite their making up only 7% of the state&#8217;s population.
The lawsuit said &#8220;Because of this race-based classification, a white or Asian homeowner with household size of 3 in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, could not apply for relief in 2023 if the homeowner’s income was greater than $96,200 (100% AMI) unless he or she could otherwise qualify as socially disadvantaged, but a black or Latino homeowner with the same household size could apply with an income of up to $116,110 (150% AMI). This is just one of many ways in which OHFA’s race-based program discriminated against white and Asian homeowners.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_542577" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-542577" class="size-large wp-image-542577" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1242358048-864x576.jpg" alt="DALLAS, TEXAS, UNITED STATES - 2022/08/05: Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stitt speaks during CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) Texas 2022 conference at Hilton Anatole in Dallas." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1242358048-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1242358048-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1242358048-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1242358048.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt speaks during CPAC (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)</div>
It said OHFA worked with the African Methodist Episcopal Church to market the program.
&#8220;OHFA specifically informed socially disadvantaged individuals about the program and assisted those individuals through the application process but did not do the same for white or Asian homeowners. This made it more likely that individuals deemed socially disadvantaged based on race would receive funding at the expense of white and Asian homeowners who were eligible to receive funding but to whom OHFA did not provide the same information or assistance,&#8221; the suit said.
&#8220;OHFA could have administered its program in a race-neutral way. Instead, it discriminated against white and Asian homeowners in favor of homeowners from preferred racial groups. But COVID-19 did not discriminate. Oklahoma homeowners of all races needed assistance. OHFA’s racial discrimination is plainly unlawful,&#8221; it said.
All of Oklahoma&#8217;s top officials are Republican, and a board appointed by the governor runs the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency. The housing board&#8217;s chair, Michael Buehl, was appointed in 2019 to a five-year term by Governor Kevin Stitt. Stitt then re-appointed him in 2024, after Buehl oversaw the race-based program. Stitt did not return a request for comment.
The housing agency is currently vigorously defending the program, hiring private lawyers who <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.okwd.129299/gov.uscourts.okwd.129299.41.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in March. The motion said that according to the Attorney General, OHFA is classified as a &#8220;state beneficiary public trust&#8221; that is &#8220;separate and distinct from&#8221; the state.
A spokesman for Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who has publicly opposed DEI and stated in 2023 that one of his priorities was investigating the misuse of COVID funds, did not respond to questions.

Republican Candidate For Governor Brian Kemp Attends Election Night Event In Athens, Georgia

How A Biden Housing Bailout Steered Billions Based On Race — With Red State Help

Coronavirus

Missouri

Oklahoma

Red States

Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis cannot continue her criminal prosecution of President Donald Trump and his allies after a ruling from the Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday.
In a 4-3 decision, the state’s high court declined a request from Willis to review the Georgia Court of Appeals’ ruling that disqualified the Democratic district attorney from prosecuting the 2020 election interference case over the conflict of interest she created when she hired her then-boyfriend, Nathan Wade, as a special prosecutor. The ruling means that the 2020 case against Trump and his allies is dead, unless another prosecutor brings charges, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5505353-willis-disqualification-trump-georgia-case/">reported</a>.
“The Georgia Supreme Court has correctly denied review of the Georgia Court of Appeals decision disqualifying DA Fani Willis and her office as prosecutors in the Fulton County RICO case,” said Steve Sadow, the lead attorney for Trump in Georgia. “Willis’ misconduct during the investigation and prosecution of President Trump was egregious, and she deserved nothing less than disqualification. This proper decision should bring an end to the wrongful political, lawfare persecutions of the President.”
A nonpartisan state agency will now be tasked with finding another prosecutor to determine if the case against Trump can proceed, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/2025/09/fani-willis-loses-last-chance-to-stay-at-the-helm-trump-georgia-election-interference-case/">reported</a>. Willis <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fani-willis-appeal-georgia-supreme-court-trump-7be50feee272612484490b53592e7e08">said</a> that she hopes another prosecutor “will have the courage to do what the evidence and the law demand.” If another prosecutor is assigned the case, he could continue pursuing the exact charges that Willis did, choose to pursue some of the charges, or dismiss the case, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fani-willis-appeal-georgia-supreme-court-trump-7be50feee272612484490b53592e7e08">Associated Press</a>.
In December, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that Willis’ actions presented a “rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings.” Wade had little experience prosecuting cases when Willis hired him to lead the Fulton County prosecution of Trump. Willis was accused of paying Wade hundreds of thousands of dollars and vacationing with him multiple times, with Wade paying for some of the trips. Both Willis and Wade testified that Willis reimbursed him for her share of the trip costs.
Willis became a star in the Democratic Party when her office brought 13 charges against Trump after he challenged Georgia’s election results in 2020. In 2023, Trump and 18 others were indicted under Georgia’s anti-racketeering law and accused of engaging in a scheme to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results that helped push Joe Biden into the White House.
Trump said the charges were another political “witch hunt.” The case brought against Trump by Willis’ office resulted in Trump being forced to pose for a mug shot, which quickly went viral. Trump displayed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hangs-mugshot-outside-oval-office-so-bad-a-that-its-surreal">framed</a> picture of the mugshot just outside the Oval Office shortly after he was sworn in for his second term.

Fani Willis

Georgia Supreme Court Rejects Last-Ditch Effort From Fani Willis To Prosecute Trump

2020 Election

Courts

Donald Trump

Executive

fulton county

Politics

SEOUL (Reuters) &#8211; South Korea will send a chartered plane to Atlanta as early as Wednesday to bring back workers detained in a huge immigration raid last week on a car battery plant in the U.S. state of Georgia, a Korean Air spokesperson said on Tuesday.
President Lee Jae Myung said Seoul would negotiate with Washington to achieve a reasonable resolution to the situation based on the spirit of their alliance, adding at a cabinet meeting that he felt a &#8220;heavy responsibility&#8221; for the detained nationals.
A Korean Air Boeing 747-8i plane with 368 seats will fly from South Korea&#8217;s Incheon to Atlanta, according to the spokesperson.
During the U.S. immigration raid about 300 South Koreans were arrested along with 175 others at the site of the $4.3 billion Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution project to build batteries for electric cars.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is in Washington to negotiate on points such as seeking assurances that the Koreans returned home will be allowed to re-enter the United States.
The raid &#8211; the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of the Department of Homeland Security&#8217;s investigative operations &#8211; sent shockwaves through South Korea, a U.S. ally that has been trying to finalise a trade deal agreed with Washington in July.
A Realmeter opinion poll published on Tuesday showed that nearly 60% of South Koreans felt disappointed by what they viewed as excessive action by U.S. authorities in the raid, while about 30% regarded the action as unavoidable.
Two Japanese nationals and up to nine Chinese citizens were among the detainees, the Nikkei business daily reported.
James Rim, who heads the Korean-American Association of Southeast Georgia and runs guesthouses used by Korean workers near the Hyundai plant, said two of his residents had been detained after being found to be on a visa-waiver programme that prohibits employment in the country.
On Thursday evening after the raid they did not come back for dinner, Rim said, noting two other colleagues had made it back to the guesthouse after screening during the raid.
&#8220;I heard two of them saw an officer that didn&#8217;t let them go, while the other two managed to leave after talking to another officer,&#8221; said Rim.
Details on how U.S. immigration rules may have been breached have not been released by the authorities or companies involved, but South Korean lawmakers say some may have overstepped the boundaries of a 90-day visa-waiver programme or a B-1 temporary business visa.
Foreign Minister Cho said he would discuss with Washington creating a special work permit for Korean professionals.
Korean businesses have complained about what they consider strict U.S. limits on visas for skilled foreign workers, making it difficult for them to oversee the construction of factories or to train the local workforce.
According to workers, officials and lawyers, many South Korean workers were sent to the U.S. on questionable documents despite their misgivings and warnings about stricter U.S. immigration enforcement.
After the raid, Rim said some of the 20 subcontractors working at the plant and also staying at his guesthouse had returned to South Korea early.
&#8220;Not everyone, but some of the workers came here on a visa waiver,&#8221; Rim said, adding that this had long been a standard practice.
&#8220;It should have been done earlier but I think now is a good chance to give some kind of a special work permit to Koreans. Otherwise, it would be difficult to build factories only with a local workforce,&#8221; he said.
(Reporting by Ju-min Park and Jack Kim; Editing by Ed Davies and Hugh Lawson)

South Korea to send chartered plane to Atlanta to bring back workers detained in US

South Korea Sending Plane To Retrieve Workers Detained In Georgia Raid

Hyundai

Immigration

South Korea

Hundreds of South Korean nationals detained during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at a Hyundai site in Georgia last week will soon be repatriated as President Donald Trump called for foreign companies to “respect” America’s laws. 
The roughly 300 workers were detained during a massive immigration enforcement operation on September 4 at a Hyundai plant in Bryan County, leading to the apprehension of around 475 people who the Trump administration <a href="https://x.com/ATFAtlanta/status/1963734241105072512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1963734241105072512%7Ctwgr%5E6ce0eebffc1436a997e529d21c8e5ca5671ad8b4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsbtv.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fus-immigration-officers-raid-georgia-site-where-hyundai-makes-electric-vehicles%2FMREDNL2DRNGNDPAG3S5JDN5QHM%2F">said</a> were illegally working in the country. 
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung&#8217;s chief of staff, Kang Hoon-sik, said on Sunday that the South Koreans detained during the operation would be returning home soon. 
“As a result of the swift and united response … negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been concluded,” he said, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/07/300-south-koreans-detained-at-hyundai-plant-in-us-to-be-released-says-seoul">according</a> to the Guardian. “Only administrative procedures remain. Once these are completed, a chartered flight will depart to bring our citizens home.”
Responding to the raid on Sunday night, Trump urged all foreign companies working inside the United States to follow immigration laws and hire American workers. 
“Following the Immigration Enforcement Operation on the Hyundai Battery Plant in Georgia, I am hereby calling on all Foreign Companies investing in the United States to please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115165715028507857">wrote</a> on Truth Social on Sunday. “Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers. Together, we will all work hard to make our Nation not only productive, but closer in unity than ever before.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent Steven Schrank <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/us-immigration-officers-raid-georgia-site-where-hyundai-makes-electric-vehicles/MREDNL2DRNGNDPAG3S5JDN5QHM/">said</a> last week that the raid was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of the HSI, which serves as the principal investigative arm of ICE.
U.S. Attorney Margaret Heap said that the goal of the operation was to “reduce illegal employment and prevent employers from gaining an unfair advantage by hiring unauthorized workers” and protect unauthorized workers from exploitation.
Hyundai stated that none of the detained individuals worked directly for the company. 
“Hyundai is committed to full compliance with all laws and regulations in every market where we operate,” the company said in a statement. “This includes employment verification requirements and immigration laws. We expect the same commitment from all our partners, suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors.&#8221;

President Trump Travels To New York To Attend U.S. Open Finals

300 Hyundai Plant Workers To Be Sent Back To South Korea As Trump Demands ‘Respect’

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Federal agents raided a massive Hyundai manufacturing site in southeast Georgia on Thursday, where they apprehended roughly 450 illegal immigrants.
The Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives posted on X, “Today, @ATFAtlanta joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety. #ATF.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/ATFAtlanta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ATFAtlanta</a> joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATF</a> <a href="https://t.co/su6raLrLu6">pic.twitter.com/su6raLrLu6</a>
&mdash; ATF Atlanta (@ATFAtlanta) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATFAtlanta/status/1963734241105072512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Hyundai Motor Group began manufacturing EVs a year ago at the $7.6 billion plant, which employs about 1,200 people,” <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hyundai-georigia-ice-raid-450-detained-electric-vehicles-batteries/">CBS News</a> noted. The company has also partnered with LG Energy Solution to construct an electric battery factory on the site, which is expected to open in 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security said a search warrant was utilized “as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.”
Hyundai is a South Korean company with a significant global presence.
“The economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during U.S. law enforcement operations,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry responded to the raid, adding:
<blockquote>
We are actively responding to this incident by dispatching the Consul General of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the Consulate General in Atlanta to the site and instructing the formation of an on-site response team centered around the local embassy. In Seoul, we also conveyed our concerns and regrets today through the U.S. Embassy in Korea and urged them to exercise extreme caution to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of Korean citizens are not infringed upon.
</blockquote>
HL-GA Battery Company, a joint venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, announced that it was temporarily halting construction.
The plant’s spokesperson, Bianca Johnson, stated, “This did not impact people getting to work. Production and normal office hours had already begun for the day” when authorities shut down access.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 66,463 illegal immigrants and removed 65,682; nearly 75% of those have had criminal records, Border Patrol News <a href="https://www.borderpatrol.news/2025-05-01-ice-removals-hit-record-pace-trumps-100-days.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a>. In the same period, ICE has <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/ice-data-immigrants-self-deportation-trump-administration-2124106?utm_source=chatgpt.com">deported</a> 145,419 illegal immigrants from its detention centers, with the highest total deported in June: 27,970.

Hyundai Investing $5.5 Billion In Georgia EV And Battery Plants

Feds Detain 450 Illegal Aliens At Hyundai Raid

illegal immigrants

A radical professor is teaching a new seminar at Harvard University in which she touts two-time failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams as a “political mastermind.”
The class, titled “Race, Gender, and the Law Through the Archive,” and taught by assistant history professor Myisha Eatmon, investigates “the role that Black women and non-binary people have played in shaping politics, grassroots organizing, the legal bar, and higher education during Jim (Jane) Crow and beyond.”
Abrams served for 11 years as a Georgia state representative before losing to Republican Brian Kemp in 2018 and 2022. Though she has never held federal office, the Ivy League course places her alongside leading black female figures of 21st century politics.
“From First Lady Michelle Obama to political mastermind Stacy Abrams to Vice President Kamala Harris, Black women have left their stamp on 21st-century politics and grassroots organizing,” the seminar description reads, misspelling Abram’s first name.
The class is taught by Harvard assistant history professor Dr. Myisha Eatmon. Eatmon’s work focuses on “the intersection of race, power, and law, with expertise in how African Americans have employed their &#8220;legal imaginations&#8221; to challenge &#8220;systemic oppression.”
“How did these people navigate gender and sexuality while pushing for civil rights? How did gender, sexuality, and intersectionality impact their political ideologies?” The course asks students.
It promotes a subjective understanding of the law in line with Critical Race Theory, and claims that “students will see the subjectivity of the Black women and non-binary people who helped push for social and legal reform.”
Eatmon’s narrative of systemic oppression and intersectionality mirrors some of Abrams’s own statements.
After losing her first gubernatorial election by a narrow margin, Abrams claimed the election was stolen from her. She <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/29/stacey-abramss-rhetorical-twist-being-an-election-denier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">walked back</a> on her statements when she ran again in 2022, saying that unlike Trump, she “never denied the election” and “never denied that I lost.”
She did say, however, that the election was “flawed.”
“I refuse to concede a system that permits citizens to be denied access,” she said. “That is very different than someone claiming fraudulent outcome.”
Adams filed and ultimately lost a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s election laws, funding the multimillion dollar legal battle through one of her voting rights nonprofits, as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-stacy-abrams-nonprofit-could-be-in-trouble?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Another+Stacy+Abrams+Nonprofit+Could+Be+In+Trouble" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously reported</a>. In a separate lawsuit, another one of Adams’ nonprofits was penalized for providing millions of dollars to her campaign.
Abrams <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/31/stacey-abrams-president-2040-109869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted</a> in 2020 that the United States would elect a black female president in the next 20 years, and suggested that it might be herself. She later tweeted that 2028 “would be the earliest I would be ready to stand for president.”
However, Democrats themselves don’t appear to view Abrams as a “mastermind,” with many <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5297972-democrats-stacey-abrams-2026-midterms-georgia-governor-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissing</a> the idea of an attempted third run for governor in 2026.
“There’s not a lot of energy…or a large appetite within the state of Georgia amongst Democrats for a third Abrams run,” said Georgia Democratic strategist Fred Hicks.

Stacey Abrams Campaigns Across Southeastern Georgia Ahead Of Election Day

Radical Harvard Professor Touts Stacey Abrams as ‘Political Mastermind’

Critical Race Theory

Harvard

Stacey Abrams

A voting rights group started by twice-failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams should be stripped of its tax-exempt status for “blatant disregard” of non-profit rules, a watchdog organization argued Tuesday. 
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a <a href="https://65db7681-e755-4cff-abe7-1d9e373df4db.usrfiles.com/ugd/65db76_5ed5e2641c3e44a5b6d9fb9eac79d12b.pdf">complaint</a> with the IRS, saying that Fair Fight Action should be investigated for bankrolling an expensive election lawsuit it argues was only for Abrams’s personal benefit. The complaint comes just months after another one of Abrams’s election non-profit organizations was penalized for illegally spending millions to back her campaign. 
The lawsuit in question, Fair Fight Action v. Raffensperger, challenged Georgia officials over various election integrity measures in place during Abrams’ 2018 race against Republican Brian Kemp. After several years of litigation, Fair Fight Action lost its case when an Obama-appointed judge <a href="https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/georgia/gandce/1:2018cv05391/257857/916/0.pdf?ts=1664630826">ruled</a> that Georgia’s election laws were constitutional and did not violate the Voting Rights Act. 
During the suit, Fair Fight Action was represented by a law firm operated by Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, one of Abrams’s <a href="https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2025/06/05/friends_with_benefits_stacey_abrams_funneled_millions_to_her_lawyer_1114621.html">close friends</a>.
“The law is clear that organizations with tax-exempt status must operate for the public good, not for the personal benefit of one individual,” FACT Executive Director Kendra Arnold told The Daily Wire. “Fair Fight Action’s activities, including funding what appears to be a failed politically motivated lawsuit that paid millions to a close personal friend, demonstrate a blatant disregard for these rules.”
Over the course of five years, Fair Fight Action paid the firm of Lawrence-Hardy over $20 million, according to <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/471427359">tax filings</a>. Fair Fight Action paid the firm $3,062,292 in 2019, $6,363,615 in 2020, $4,441,206 in 2021, $5,034,464 in 2022, and $1,300,280 in 2023.
Arnold argues that Fair Fight Action launched its lawsuit solely for Abrams’s benefit. 
“After she lost her first election for governor of Georgia in 2018, Fair Fight Action engaged in what appeared to be political activity and brought a lawsuit challenging Abrams’ election loss,” Arnold wrote in a letter to the IRS obtained by The Daily Wire. “The organization has served as an arm of Abrams’ political campaigns, notably funding a lawsuit directly challenging her first campaign loss and serving as a bridge between her two runs for governor.”
Once described by the New York Times as a “fundraising powerhouse for Democrats,” Fair Fight Action has struggled in recent years. In January 2024, it was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/us/politics/fair-fight-layoffs-stacey-abrams.html">reported</a> that the group was cutting 75% of its staff and was millions of dollars in debt. 
“In essence, an organization interested in providing a ‘common good’ for the citizenry would not put its existence or efficacy at risk to benefit a single individual,” Arnold told The Daily Wire. 
In her letter, Arnold pointed to the New Georgia Project, another one of Abram’s linked voting organizations that has faced scrutiny. The organization, which Abrams founded in 2013, agreed to pay $300,000 after the State Ethics Commission <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000194-6ae1-d7e4-af9d-eaf5fa010000">found</a> that the organization likely violated state campaign finance laws by failing to report over $7 million spent in support of Abrams. 
Arnold wants the IRS to impose a financial penalty and revoke Fair Fight Action’s tax-exempt status if merited by an investigation. 
“The facts above certainly indicate that the sole motivation of Fair Fight Action and its conduct has been to benefit a few individuals — not the community as a whole,” she wrote.

Stacey Abrams In Conversation With Dr. Carla Hayden

Another Stacy Abrams Nonprofit Could Be In Trouble

Brian Kemp

Elections

Ethics

The U.S. Army awarded medals to six soldiers who subdued an active shooter and quickly aided their wounded colleagues after a sergeant opened fire at Fort Stewart in Georgia on Wednesday.
At a <a href="https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1YqKDZNmgaoJV">press conference</a> on Thursday morning, the Army honored First Sgt. Joshua Arnold, Master Sgt. Justin Thomas, Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor, Staff Sgt. Robert Pacheco, Staff Sergeant Aaron Turner, and Sergeant Eve Rodarte for their heroism. The suspect is accused of using his personal handgun in the shooting. Fort Stewart prohibits personnel from carrying their own firearms at the base.
&#8220;One of the things I can say unequivocally is that the fast action of these soldiers under stress and under trauma and under fire absolutely saved lives from being lost,&#8221; said U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.
&#8220;One of the soldiers tackled the person, so just think about this, they were unarmed and ran at and tackled an armed person who they knew was actively shooting their buddies, their colleagues, their fellow soldiers,&#8221; Driscoll added. &#8220;Another soldier jumped on top of the person to subdue them until federal law enforcement arrived. The other soldiers, using their training that they developed over years and years, started to take care of mass casualties.&#8221;
The Army <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/fort-stewart-shooting-georgia-08-07-25#cme1grzoq000h356nvib6ue5s">said</a> that Staff Sgt. Turner was the first person to subdue the shooter before Master Sgt. Thomas jumped in to help pin him down. Turner is an automated logistical specialist from Farmington, New Mexico, who has been at Fort Stewart for less than a year.
The five victims are all expected to survive, and three of them have already been released from the hospital. One of the victims who remains in the hospital is expected to recover quickly, while the other victim has a longer recovery ahead, Savannah, Georgia, CBS affiliate WTOC <a href="https://www.wtoc.com/2025/08/07/soldiers-who-subdued-fort-stewart-shooter-awarded-medals-3-injured-soldiers-released-hospital/">reported</a>.
The Daily Wire is not publishing the gunman’s name due to a company policy against contributing to the unintentional glorification of mass shooters.
The suspect was identified as a 28-year-old active-duty sergeant who enlisted in 2018. He had not seen combat and had no behavioral incidents that were known to the Army before the shooting. Brig. Gen. John Lubas said on Wednesday that the suspect was arrested for driving under the influence in May, an arrest that the Army&#8217;s top brass did not know about until after the shooting, when they entered the suspect&#8217;s name into a crime database. He was scheduled to be arraigned in the DUI case on August 20, <a href="https://www.ksbw.com/article/fort-stewart-army-sergeant-shooting-coworkers/65624655">according</a> to KSBW Action News 8.
An investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and the Army said it does not want to speculate about the shooter&#8217;s motives.

Army honors soldiers who stopped gunman

Army Honors Unarmed Soldiers Who Took Down Fort Stewart Shooter

Heroism

Military

Shooting

U.S. Army

A gunman opened fire at Fort Stewart in eastern Georgia on Wednesday, shooting five U.S. Army soldiers, before the shooter was apprehended.
All five of the victims were treated at the base before they were transported to Winn Army Community Hospital, the Army base <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FortStewartHunterArmyAirfield/">said</a> in a post on social media. The victims, who have not been identified, are all in stable condition and expected to recover, Brig. Gen. John Lubas said at a press conference later on Wednesday. The suspected gunman was identified as a 28-year-old automated logistics sergeant assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team who has &#8220;not previously deployed to combat.&#8221; The Army believes the shooter used &#8220;a personal handgun.&#8221;
&#8220;Soldiers in the area that witnessed the shooting immediately and without hesitation tackled the soldier and subdued him,&#8221; Lubas said. &#8220;That allowed law enforcement to then take him into custody.&#8221;
Lubas added that it remains unclear what the gunman&#8217;s motivations were, saying that the shooting took place &#8220;at the soldier&#8217;s place of work&#8221; and involved his co-workers.
&#8220;Law enforcement was dispatched for a possible shooting in the 2nd ABCT complex at 10:56 a.m. The shooter was apprehended at 11:35 a.m.,&#8221; Fort Stewart said.
Fort Stewart is the largest U.S. Army installation east of the Mississippi River and is home to the Army&#8217;s 3rd Infantry Division.
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp <a href="https://x.com/GovKemp/status/1953124468479377428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1953124468479377428%7Ctwgr%5E7732c4e57e15bb37b72cf843cfe1fb9dd95aa25f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fox5atlanta.com%2Fnews%2Flockdown-fort-stewart-army-post-georgia">posted</a> on X, &#8220;As we remain in close contact with law enforcement on the ground, Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by today’s tragedy at Ft. Stewart. We are keeping the victims, their families, and all those who answer the call to serve in our hearts and prayers, and we ask that Georgians everywhere do the same.&#8221;
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/1953135134665802048">said</a> that President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting and is &#8220;monitoring the situation.&#8221;
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

Army Sergeant Opens Fire At Georgia Military Base, Five Victims Expected To Survive

Crime

U.S.

Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley <a href="https://apnews.com/article/derek-dooley-reepublican-senate-georgia-tennessee-ossoff-a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c">threw his hat in the ring</a> as a Georgia GOP senatorial candidate for 2026 on Monday.
Dooley, 57, the son of famed University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, obtained his law degree from the University of Georgia and briefly practiced law before turning to football, where he became head coach at Louisiana Tech, then Tennessee before serving as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, the University of Missouri, the New York Giants and the University of Alabama.
Dooley is backed by Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who declined to run for the Senate seat to replace Democrat Jon Ossoff, who won his seat in 2020.
“The only thing that matters to me is that people of Georgia are proud of who’s representing them in Washington, D.C.,” Dooley said in his campaign launch video. “President Trump campaigned on things and he’s turned them into results; I haven’t known a president in my lifetime who’s been able to achieve these kind of results. That’s what the people want; they want somebody who means what they say, say what they mean, and then go deliver results.”
Turning to Ossoff, he declared, “Professional politicians like Jon Ossoff are the problem. Lawlessness, open season on the border, inflation everywhere, woke stuff, that’s what they represent. We need new leadership in Georgia. That’s why I’m running for Senate.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0HX7YVxZyiI?si=KhANqp7VVZdu5kbq" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Dooley’s chief rival for the GOP senatorial nod is Congressman Mike Collins, who has gained endorsements from various Republicans, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
At the end of March, a non-partisan ethics watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), filed a complaint against Ossoff, accusing him of violating Senate ethics rules by directly linking official action to a request for campaign contributions.
FACT sent a<a href="https://65db7681-e755-4cff-abe7-1d9e373df4db.usrfiles.com/ugd/65db76_c14ec0e53bc2448e9a98a4a0e4c00122.pdf"> letter</a> to Ethics Committee Chairman Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Vice-Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE) in which they stated:
<blockquote>
On March 14th, 2025, Senator Ossoff sent out an email that contained only two subjects: (1) that he planned to vote against a specific bill; and (2) a request for a campaign contribution. The email began with the statement, “I will vote ‘NO’ on the Trump/Musk/Johnson ‘CR.’” Following several statements about the bill, he then makes a direct request for a campaign contribution: “If you can afford it, please rush $5 to Jon Ossoff’s re-election campaign today. If you’ve stored your info with ActBlue, we’ll process your contribution instantly.” 
</blockquote>
“Senate Ethics Rules specifically prohibit Senators from soliciting campaign contributions based upon any action taken in their official capacity,” the letter continued. “By linking a promise of official action with campaign contributions, a Senator violates a ‘basic principle’ of Senate Ethics that guards against conflicts of interest.”
Additionally, Ossoff, who is Jewish, voted in favor of a resolution to block the sale of some weapons to Israel in November 2024, and last week voted against selling U.S. automatic assault rifles to Israel, and <a href="https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sen-ossoff-statement-on-jrd-votes/">joined other anti-Israel Democrats</a> in blaming the Israeli government &#8211; and not the terrorist group Hamas &#8211; for starving the people of Gaza. He said, “I do not believe the United States Senate should acquiesce without objection to the extreme mass deprivation of civilians in Gaza, including the intolerable starvation of children, that have resulted from the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.”

Tennessee Volunteers v Arkansas Razorbacks

Former Tennessee Football Coach Enters Georgia Senate Race As Republican

Senate GOP

U.S. Senate

Menu